POLI 3404 Seminar: The Anatomy of Dictatorship
For Political Science Majors only. This course is class restricted to juniors and seniors only.. This course examines the conditions that give rise to authoritarian regimes; policies and strategies of authoritarian leaders; the different types of authoritarianism; leadership succession and stability; and consequences and outcomes of dictatorship. We will use a variety of sources to explore the politics of authoritarianism such as theoretical approaches, in-depth case studies, biographies, novels, and film.
Course overview
- Department
- Political Science
- School
- MCAS
- Credits
- 3
- Level
- Undergraduate
- Offered
- Periodically in the Fall
Course evaluations
- Course rating
- 4.45 / 5 · Very Good
- Instructor rating
- 4.70 / 5 · Excellent
- Terms evaluated
- 5
| Term | Instructor | Course overall | Instructor overall | Well organized | Clear learning objectives | Intellectually challenging | Helpful assignments | Applicable beyond course | Attendance necessary | Weekly effort | Responses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2025 | Kathleen Bailey | 4.7 | 5.0 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 5.0 | 4.8 | 5.0 | — | 9 of 16 |
| Fall 2024 | Kathleen Bailey | 4.6 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4–6 hrs/week | 10 of 14 |
| Fall 2023 | Kathleen Bailey | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15 of 18 |
| Fall 2022 | Kathleen Bailey | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4–6 hrs/week | 12 of 15 |
| Fall 2021 | Kathleen Bailey | 4.6 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4–6 hrs/week | 8 of 13 |